Negotiators for the Milwaukee Art Museum and the War Memorial Center have reached a tentative agreement that will define who controls the landmark center on the lakefront, County Board Chairwoman Marina Dimitrijevic said Wednesday.

The issue arose last year when the art museum proposed it take over management of the center in conjunction with a $25 million renovation project.

The deal was reached with former state Supreme Court Justice Janine Geske acting as mediator. Details of the deal are expected to be released Tuesday, when it is presented to the County Board's Parks Committee, Dimitrijevic said.

"Hats off to Janine Geske," Dimitrijevic said.

The two sides agreed not to immediately disclose details of the deal, according to Vicki Scharfberg, a spokeswoman for art museum Director Dan Keegan, and War Memorial chief negotiator Dave Kurtz. Kurtz is adjutant for the state American Legion.

The deal needs approval by boards for the museum and War Memorial, as well as the County Board and County Executive Chris Abele.

The two sides were deadlocked after months of negotiations when Geske agreed to accept the mediator role Feb. 1.

In earlier talks, the museum and War Memorial negotiators had agreed that each party would manage the portions of the building they occupy. The museum is now a tenant of the War Memorial Center. The county owns the building and surrounding land.

Key sticking points before the Geske mediation were who controls and profits from a parking lot on the north side of the building, who pays for building security, and how long the museum has to raise its $15 million toward the $25 million renovation cost.

The county has pledged $10 million to repair leaks and a crumbling outdoor staircase and improve heating and cooling systems.

The museum has complained about leaks in the building threatening its $750 million art collection.

About Steve Schultze

Schultze joined the Milwaukee Journal staff in 1985, covering state government and politics from the paper's state capitol bureau in Madison. He also served as Madison bureau chief for five years. Following the Journal-Sentinel merger in 1995, Schultze shifted to the paper's investigative/enterprise team, where he co-authored series on abusive teachers in the Milwaukee Public Schools, influence peddling in the administration of Gov. Tommy Thompson and shortcomings of a $3 billion regional sewer system upgrade. In 2007, he began covering Milwaukee County government. Schultze is a graduate of the University of Colorado School of Journalism.